#DailyDevotion Let Us Praise God & Have The Good Will Of The People
Acts 244All who believed were together and shared everything with one another. 45They would sell their lands and other property and distribute the money to anyone as he needed it. 46All were one at heart as they went to the temple regularly every day. They had their meals in their homes and ate their food with glad and simple hearts, 47praising God and having the good will of all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Well I guess it was good while it lasted. The Christians in Jerusalem cast care to the wind, sold everything they had and took care of one another from the common treasury, until they couldn’t and didn’t. They thought the end was near but it wasn’t as near as they thought. But they did it out of pure and simple hearts. Sin however still adheres to our flesh even though our hearts are born anew. The Greek speaking widows eventually were not getting their fair share and the deaconate was created to fix that problem. Later the whole system was abandoned because Jesus was coming back later than we thought though his return is always sooner than we think. We must always be prepared. So the Church must continue to look after its widows and orphans in their distress. We also must continue to work with our hands to make a living and to provide for those who lack the basic necessities of life, food and clothing.
The first Jewish Christians went to the temple regularly and were one at heart. They must have been offering sacrifices and thanks and praise since those for sin and peace were already taken care of by Jesus’ death on the cross. There they would tell about the good news of Jesus Christ to whomever would listen. Jesus had indeed provided the sacrifice for sin and peace. He was the Passover Lamb who had overcome the angel of death. He was the goat that was sacrificed and the scapegoat led outside the gate of the city. He was the offerings of on the cross. There they would tell about the good news of Jesus Christ to whomever would listen. Jesus had indeed provided the sacrifice for sin and peace. He was the Passover Lamb who had overcome the angel of death. He was the goat that was sacrificed and the scapegoat led outside the gate of the city. He was the offerings of the doves and lambs for purity. He was the heifer on the day of atonement.
Jesus who is the sacrifice who is not only the replacement of these sacrifices but is the sacrifice all these other sacrifices were modeled after rose from the dead. His resurrection points to him as the promised messiah. His resurrection points to him as the King of Israel. His ascension to the right hand of the Father points to him as the Son of Man who will return in judgment as written in Daniel. He is the one who is appointed as our high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
It is this message of Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit used to convert the hearts of the people and added to their number daily. It is the same message we must bring to people which the Holy Spirit will use to convert their hearts as well. We don’t need any programs or sales pitches. We don’t have to water down the law of God or water down the gospel either. Just share the good news of Jesus with the people God places in our way and he will call out his own from the masses of the people who hear it.
Gracious God and Father, ever put into our ears the good news of Jesus Christ that it may be upon our lips when we greet others so they too may know the joy of our savior and theirs. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.